A Splendid Roar
by ThinkingBeforeTalking
Summary: It's a little smaller than the other one.


Vic spoke softly and calmly in a smooth reassuring tone. The kind a doctor would use just as he was about to inflict pain.

"I'm going to do something right now ... something you're not going to be very comfortable doing. But I need you to trust me and just go with the flow. Ok?"

"Uh ..."

Before I could answer, she grabbed my face to her level and commenced what could only be described as a full scale assault on my mouth with her own.

It ended as brusquely as it began, she broke off the kiss and slapped me across the right cheek. My good side. I suspect the slap was a little harder than necessary to draw our suspects' attention. She must be working out.

The little display was to convince our suspect at the bar that I was indeed Jack Galway, the lying cheating bastard who won't leave his wife for the lovely mistress Lily a.k.a Vic, because the wife was the one with all the money. The man we were after was a serial blackmailer. He always asked for an affordable sum and never too much to raise suspicion or scrutiny. All the while teaching adulterous men around the county an expensive lesson in fidelity.

"Woweee! You've got a little fire cracker there buddy! Hahahaha!"

That piece of keen observation from the bartender was followed by a significant slap on the back. Harsh, especially for a man still weak at the knees trying to recover from a life giving kiss and a slap.

Bewildered and still rubbing my jaw mostly out of embarrassment, I followed her out from the noisy, smoke filled bar, affectionately called 'Love em & Leave em'.

"Sorry about that."

I heard her voice behind me coming out of the darkened alley.

"Which part?"

"That's the type of answer that could get you into trouble." She stabbed her finger firmly into my chest as she spoke, trying to make a point. The way only a woman could. Ow.

She made a concerned face - which I'd like to think was sympathy, and moved to my right to inspect the damage.

"I've seen you take punches ten times harder, don't be such a baby."

Nope, not sympathy. I better find out what I did wrong soon.

.

.

We waited in our motel room for the call.

"Next time we go undercover, I want a fancier room. They don't even have those little shampoos here ... "

(Ringing phone)  
"Shhhh ... it's him.."

"Ferg, you ready to record the call?" He nodded.

"Hello"

"Is this Mr. Galway?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"I've just sent some pictures to your phone Mr. Galway. If you don't want those lovely Kodak moments to reach your wife, then go to the alley behind the Love 'em and Leave 'em bar tonight and bring $10,000 in cash with you."

"I don't think I can get that kind of cash this time of night."

"Find a way, I'm sure your wife keeps that kind of spare change around the house somewhere. Tonight, ten minutes before midnight ." (Hangs up)

"Ferg, did you get all that?"

"Sure did Sheriff." Looking quite pleased with himself.

"Ok, that gives us an hour before the drop off. Branch are you in position?

"Yeah, I'm watchin' the alley."

.

.

"You got the money?"

"Yep." I handed him the envelope.

"How do I know you're not going to send the photos anyway."

"You're gonna have to just trust me on that. But if I were you ... I would leave the wife for that little fire cracker. Woweee! Hahahaha!" The bartender turned around to leave.

"Mr. Matthews?" Surprised to hear his name, he turned back to me.

"Hey, how ..."

"You're under arrest. Don't worry, the little fire cracker behind you will be reading you your rights and officially charging you down at the Sheriff's station."

Vic cuffed him with a little more gusto than she normally would a felon. "Ten minutes before midnight, what? You're planning on turning into the pumpkin? You gotta let me know cause I gotta get a bigger truck."

.

.

"When you said you wanted to show me something, I thought it was around the corner from ... oh you know, Wyoming! Where the hell are we?"

"Wyoming. C'mon we gotta go the rest of the way on foot."

"I know I've been a little testy lately, ok bitchy too, but you're not planning on killing me and dumping my body in the woods never to be heard from again are you? Cause if anyone knows how, it would be you ..."

We stopped at a clearing where a loud rumble of water caught her attention. It was a remote and beautiful spot framed between giant pines and imposing boulders. The waterfall wasn't the biggest or the most impressive, but it certainly made a splendid roar as it spilled into the tiny creek below.

"Wow. How did you find this place?"

"I came across it last year when those campers got lost."

I handed her a letter from the USDA Forest service.

I could see tears pooling in the corners of her eyes as she read, which I hoped was a good thing. One of the few times it seems, Vic was at a loss for words.

"It's a little smaller than the other one ... "

I joked.

"You named it Victoria Falls?

"Happy Birthday."

She re-read the letter not quite sure she was reading it correctly.

"I was going to bring you out here last week but the case took longer than ex..."

That's when the full weight of one Victoria Moretti launched at me. Her arms grappled around my neck and shoulders like a prey mantis going in for the kill. Her face inches from mine.

"Thank you"

The kiss was sultry and slow, how I imagined movie stars kissed their leading men when no one was looking. I should start looking for more landmarks.

"But how?"

Her curiosity interrupted my reward.

"It wasn't on the map, and since I pointed it out, they asked me if I had any ideas for a name. Helps to be Sheriff too I guess."

"You know on the scale of corny gifts this one scores a perfect 10."

"I play to my strengths."

"I don't know how you're gonna top this next year."

I hadn't thought about that.


End file.
